Town and Country

I am writing this from a strip mall on the outskirts of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. A week ago I couldn't have told you the capital of Zambia if my life depended on it. Who said travel doesn't broaden?

I think the range of places I have managed to squeeze in internet time over the passed few years of traveling has been quite extraordinary: in super markets, airports, hardware stores, hostels, multi-level web cafes and everything in between. It is always the same, the lure of contact.

We have just returned from 2 and a half days of canoeing on the Lower Zambezi river, which was surprisingly easy, despite a few moments of heart-stopping terror (did you know that hippos kill more people than any other African animal? There were a lot of hippos) and some profoundly un-sought-for attention from the sketchy guide (who of course had to be in my boat).

It is very good to be here. I think it's important that that is said. For all the stress and challenge of this sort of travel (and we have had considerable helpings of both, in the past month) I will not lose sight of the sheer extraordinariness of just being here, sitting in the back of our dear tempremental truck and watching the world fly (or occasionally jolt and stutter) passed.

One of these days, I hope, I'll have enough computer time to tell you some stories. But in the mean time, it's back to the bush...

Thinking of you, at computers around the world.

N.